XIV

WORD CLASSIFICATION

The Kinds of Words

In doing the work outlined thus far, the children have acquired considerable resources in vocabulary. They have seen all the articles, prepositions, pronouns, conjunctions, interjections, many of the adverbs; and they know many nouns, adjectives, and verbs, which will be increased in number as their culture is widened. They know something also of the use of the parts of speech and their functions in the expression of thought. This is the natural place for a classification in retrospect of those words which the children have in writing before them on the cards and slips of different colors. Separate tables should be used for these exercises in word grouping.

This new step is preparatory to a theoretical study of language to be developed in later courses in the second period of their education.

WORDS CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO FORMATION

Root words

Derived

Compound

CLASSIFICATION OF WORDS ACCORDING TO INFLECTION

There are two kinds of words, thus considered: variable and invariable:

INVARIABLES: preposition
conjunction
interjection They may be simple or compound, made up, that is, of one word or more.

VARIABLES: in gender and number nouns

may be of masculine, feminine, neuter or common gender.

form their plurals by adding -s or by changing the root vowel (umlaut)

in gender, number person and case pronouns

have special words for each form: e.g. he, him, who, whom, I, me, etc.

in degree adjectives
adverbs -er for comparative
-est for superlative

in person, number, tense and mood verbs

show third person singular by adding -s, and old second person singular by adding -st

show moods by adding -ing, -ed or by vowel change for participles: or by special forms (I be, he be, etc.) for subjunctive.

show tense by suffix -ed, -t: or by vowel change (I go, I went).

show irregular forms.

for phonetic reasons definite article
indefinite

the has two pronunciations according to the following word.

a becomes an before a vowel.

CLASSIFICATION OF WORDS ACCORDING TO THEIR USE
(Parts of Speech)

Article Verb Pronoun

Noun Adverb Conjunction

Adjective Preposition Interjection

Note: In actual usage the parts of speech perform not only their own functions, but also the functions of other parts of speech, for instance, the adjective, verb, adverb, conjunction, etc., may be used as nouns. The participles, etc., may be used as adjectives, or as clauses, etc.

The Noun

Proper Common

Concrete Abstract

Collective Individual

The Article

Definite—the
Indefinite—a, an

The Adjective

Descriptive: Properties, qualities of things and living beings.

Quantitative: Definite (numeral)

cardinal: one, two, three, four, etc.

ordinal: first, second, third, fourth, last, etc.

multiple: single, double, triple, quadruple, etc. fractional: half, third, etc.

Indefinite

many, all, some, much, enough, no, more, most, other, little, few, whatever, each, every, certain, several, somewhat, etc.

Demonstrative (position in space): this, that, these, those, such, same.

Possessive: my, thy, his, her, its, our, your, their.

Interrogative: what? which?

Verb

The verb indicates:

existence: to be.
state or condition: nominal predicate (copular): e.g., She is beautiful.
action: verbal predicate: e.g., I run.

Transitive (action upon an object different from subject)

lay, throw, toss, hurl, roll, raise, lower, attach, touch, tie, cover, uncover, undo, invert, rub, spread, collect, scatter, sprinkle, stir, beat, mix, dissolve, flavor, arrange, clean, dust, sweep, button, lace, hook, brush, wash, wipe, embrace, etc., etc.

Intransitive (action remains in subject)

grow, die, smile, laugh, stare, walk, stagger, march, sing, whistle, speak, hum, dance, shout, dine, bark, think, burst, blossom, remain, stand, rise, go, run, breathe, sigh, hesitate, weep, sleep, etc., etc.

Note: Certain verbs may be by nature both transitive and intransitive (incomplete predication).

Impersonals (the subject is it without reference to a specific object): rain, snow, hail, dawn, lighten, thunder, etc.

Adverbs

of Manner:

slowly, rapidly, silently, noisily, abruptly, loudly, strongly, weakly, moderately, well, ill, better, worse, otherwise, differently, thus, so, lightly, heavily, etc., etc.

of Place: here, there, elsewhere, up, down, forward, backward, upstairs, downstairs, etc., etc.

of Time:

always, ever, never, again, still, yesterday, tomorrow,today, now, occasionally, before, afterwards, soon, etc., etc.

of Quantity: much, little, enough, nothing, more, less, least, most, about, only, too, very, etc.

of Comparison: more, less, than, etc.

of Affirmation: yes, certainly, precisely, indeed, surely, assuredly, truly, even, etc.

of Negation: no, never, not, at all, etc.

of Doubt: perhaps, perchance, almost, probably, etc.

Preposition

Simple:

of, to, by, from, in, with, on, among, above, through, under, around, beside, behind, save, except, near, next, like, during, off, etc.

Compound (preposition phrases): in place of, out of, away from, as to, on board, with regard to, etc.

Pronoun

Personal: subject: I, thou, he, she, it, we, you, they

object: me, thee, him, her, it, us, you, them

Demonstrative: definite: this, this one, that, that one, these, those

indefinite:

one, ones, some, somebody, everyone, each, each one, no one, nobody, none, nothing, etc.

Relative: of person: subject: who, that
possessive: whose
object: whom, that

of thing: which, that

indefinite: whoever, which ever

compound (antecedent understood): what (that which), whereof, wherewith, etc.

Interrogative: of person: who
whose
whom
which

of thing: what
which

Possessive: mine, yours (thine), his, hers, ours, yours, theirs.

Conjunction

Disjunctive: or, or else, otherwise, rather.

Copulative: and, also, too, besides, moreover, further, furthermore, nor, etc.

Adversative: but, nevertheless, notwithstanding, yet, still, while, however, only, on the contrary, instead, etc.

Declarative: namely, in other words, that is, etc.

Relative: that.

Illative: hence, therefore, wherefore, then, accordingly, so, with the result that, etc.

Temporal: while, when, as soon as, after, before, until, till, hardly, etc.

Concessive: though, although, even if.

Purpose (Final): that, in order that, to the end that, etc.

Conditional: if, unless, provided, provided that, etc.

Causal: as, because, for, since, seeing that, etc.

Result: that, so that, etc.

Locative: where, whence, whither, whereto, wherefrom, etc.

Degree and Comparison: as, than.

Interjection

See list already given on pp. -.